British medal haul due to 'hard work'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Great Britain's record-breaking haul of 19 medals at last week's European Championships in Barcelona is simply down to "hard work", according to the head coach of UK Athletics.
Asked on Radio Five's Sportsweek what the secret to the British side's success was, Charles van Commenee concluded: "Hard work over many years and now it flourishes. It's not more than that."
Among the British medallists were Mo Farah, who won two track golds, and Jessica Ennis, who triumphed in the heptathlon, as Britain surpassed the total of 18 medals from Split in 1990.
Van Commenee also dispelled claims he is overly aggressive in his coaching. "When you're working 52 weeks a year with 100 people, and all these people are different, you have to speak different languages," he continued. "You have to be empathetic and understanding."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments